And then he heard Grace whisper, “You didn’t have to come.”
Like hell he didn’t.
It took everything he had to say, “You okay?”
Once she nodded into his chest, Rick let her go. He tried not to let it sting too much when she backed away from him the second she could.
Grace glanced up at him with bloodshot eyes, offering him a small, shaky smile, before giving him her profile. He watched her forehead wrinkle as she stared around the porch. Grace searched out Maria. And then she asked the last thing he ever expected: “Where did Natalie go?”
“Gone,” Maria said in her throaty voice. “I’m not surprised you didn’t notice.”
Natalie?
That’s right, Rick remembered. Natalie was on the porch when he pulled up, though there was no sign of her now.
He scowled. No wonder Sly was vague when it came to who found her. His old buddy knew exactly how he’d react. After the scene at the coffeeshop, Rick got Sly to tell Natalie to back off. He didn’t want to hurt the girl again, and if he had to face her after the way she treated Grace in front of half the town, he might’ve said some things he would’ve regretted. Better that it came from the sheriff instead.
Now, though? His whole body went tense, his jaw tight. Maybe he had jumped to the wrong conclusion. He immediately thought Grace’s fear had everything to do with the secrets she kept. But if Natalie had something to do with how scared and upset Grace was, he’d never forgive her.
“What was she doing here?” His voice went hard, his tone harsh. Wincing when he heard it, he dialed it back. “Tiger? You’ve gotta tell me. Is this Nat’s fault? Did she upset you?”
“What? You think—God, no. No, Rick. She—” Grace let out a strange sound. It took him a second to realize it was a hiccup mixed with a snort. She shrugged helplessly, throwing her hands up in the air. “She was trying to apologize. I might’ve let her if my… my breakdown hadn’t sent her running. At least now I know how to get rid of her if she pisses me off again.”
Her words were light, almost teasing. It was an act. A show. Another performance, Rick figured, only he wasn’t falling for this one.
Trembling. She was trembling. He rubbed her upper arm with his hand, a silent apology of his own. He didn’t know what else to do, how to comfort her when he didn’t know what set her off, and he ended up trying to make light of his accusation. If that’s how Grace wanted it, he’d try his best to put her at ease.
“Really?” he grumbled. “Didn’t know she knew how to do that. Apologize, I mean.”
Their relationship was so fragile. So new. Rick was navigating it the best he could, and he felt a little bit better about how he was doing when the frightened expression faded some. Closing her eyes, she leaned into his touch. His heart just about melted and he had to fight to keep from wrapping her up in his arms again.
“I know.” Another hiccup. Grace reached out to him, palming his chest. He liked the way she patted him, the way she didn’t want to let him get too far despite everything. “It was a surprise to me, too.”
“If it wasn’t Natalie, what happened? Sly buzzed and told me you kind of fainted out here. Was it from the cold?” Her leotard had long sleeves, but the stretchy material was super thin and it wouldn’t hold in he
r body heat once she stopped dancing. He pressed the back of his hand against her cheek and frowned. “You feel chilly. Is that it?”
“Maybe we should go inside,” suggested Maria. “Or I could go get Grace her coat.”
Grace shook her head. “I’m fine.”
That was a lie, but Rick let it go. Maybe she meant it. As worked up as he was, he barely noticed the dropping temperatures. Grace was shook; she might not feel the cold, either. And whatever it was that upset her, it happened here. It happened outside.
He glanced around. The only thing he noticed that didn’t belong was the stack of mail lying in the grass near the edge of the curb. He saw the blue ribbon tied around the pile.
Only one person in Hamlet color-coordinated their mail drop-offs.
“Was Phil here?”
Instead of answering him, Grace jolted. Her hand flew to her face, covering her mouth. “Ophelia’s mail,” she breathed out between her fingers. “I’m so sorry, Maria. I didn’t mean to drop your letters.”
“No worries, sweetie. Here, you stay with Ricky. I’ll get the mail.”
It was the perfect opportunity to talk to Grace alone. Maria was giving them space, while staying near enough to offer Grace her support. He owed her big time for this.
Once they had a little privacy, Rick lowered his voice. “It’s just you and me, Tiger. No one else needs to know. We can handle this together. But, first, you gotta tell me what happened before I got here.”
“I… I can’t.”